Parasitic Immunology

Parasites are those multicellular or unicellular organism that attach on or inside host body for nourishment, development, and reproduction.

Immunology: Branch of biology which deals with the study of immune response immune system and production of antibody. 

Parasitic immunology: It is the study of immune response related with parasites. Generally, parasitic immunity is acquired after birth due to repeated parasitic infection. The principle immune response to parasitic infection is phagocytosis but many of these parasites are resistant to phagocytosis, killing, and even replicate with in, macrophage. Phagocytes also attack helminths parasites and secret microbial substance to kill organism that are too lager to phagocytized. 

Immune system

 1. Innate immunity / natural immunity. 

 2. Acquired immunity.

 Innate immunity / natural immunity 

Innate immunity is nonspecific type of immunity they have similar immune response to any type of parasite with similar response. It provides first line defense against invasion. It includes anatomical and structural barriers. These are external defense force that act on surface level like epithelial, body surface, gastro intestinal secretion, vaginal tract which flush out the invading parasites movement due to cilia and gut peristalsis cough reflex mucous membrane lining GI tract respiratory. When parasite invades first line defense than it enters into blood than second line defense come into play. These innate immune response includes. 

 Inflammation 

 Phagocytosis 

 Complement system 

 Inflammation: PAM PRR activates macrophages and dendritic cells to release cytokines i.e. IL2, INF, TNF. These cytokines mediates inflammatory actions. Helminthic infection also cause local inflammation on gut wall. 

Phagocytosis: Circulating neutrophil macrophage monocytes play major role in recognizing and ingesting parasites. Phagocytes also secretes reactive oxides NO, hydrogen peroxide and kill parasites. These reaction causes tissue damage leads to vascular permeability an organ injury. 

Complement activation: Complement system enhance the ability of antibody and phagocytic cell to clear microbes dead cells and parasites from organism and also promotes inflammation attack to pathogenic membrane. Complement factors are the membrane associated glycoprotein that play three major role.